Avatar: Rebirth
by Raid-Celestial-spirit
Summary: After the Avatar disappears in China, a new Avatar appears in Japan. In order to save the world, Avatar Sadou must go beyond the normal training, and surpass his own limits


"Long ago, a powerful being known as "The Avatar" exsisted. They lived so that peace would be restored, it's now been 200 years since the last Avatar appeared, and it's very needed. The water benders are on the verge of collapse, the air benders are spread throughout the land, the fire benders are engaged in a civil war, and the earth benders are doing nothing to help. The land is in total chaos, and many doubt that the Avatar will return, but a looming threat might force our hand" says a narrative voice. A doctor rushes out of a room. "I have some news. Your son may be the next Avatar" says the doctor. A mother and father look at each other in concern. "It's both a miracle, and a curse if it's so. The land will have a savoir-" starts the doctor. "But we lose our baby! And after I was finally able to get pregnant" says the mother. "There's a chance hes not the Avatar though right" asks the father. "Yes. Bending is normally genetic, if an earth bender has a child, it's an earth bender. This is a rare case however, even though you yourself are a water bender, and your wife is an earth bender, your son clearly fire bended. It was nothing major, just made a candle light dance. It's never been heard of for a child to be able to bend an element that neither of their parents were able to bend. The good news is it's only fire bending, so it may just be an abnormality. In addition, the next in line to be an avatar was supposed to be a natural earth bender. I won't report this, because I'm a family friend and I don't want to cause trouble, but for the sake of the land, and bending everywhere, I beg you. If your son turns out to be the Avatar, let him pursue his destiny" says the doctor. The parents nod, and the doctor leaves. A few years later, the boy is now 5 and fire bending daily. His mom walks outside. "Come now Sadou! Dinners ready" says his mother. "But mom! Look I learned a cool new move" says Sadou as he punches the ground. An earth disk shoots from the ground, and he throws a fireball at it, shattering it to pieces. The mom gasp. "Pretty cool right mom! I can move earth too" says Sadou. The mom grabs her chest and motions Sadou over. Sadou walks over to his mom, who hugs him. "Alright sweetie, mommie needs you to do her a favor. Don't tell anyone you can do that okay" says Sadou's mom. "But why not" asks Sadou. "Because then some people will want to take you away. You can't tell anyone, not even daddy" says Sadou's mom. "Okay" says Sadou. They go inside and eat dinner, a few years later, Sadou is now 11 years old. Sadou walks into his mom's room. "Happy birthday Sadou" she says happily. "Mom...I know" says Sadou. "Know what dear" asks his mom. "Some kids were talking about the Avatar today at school" says Sadou. Sadou's mom remains silent. "Nobody is able to wield multiple types of bending, nobody except the Avatar" says Sadou. "Sadou please-" starts his mom. "HOW COULD YOU KEEP THAT FROM ME?! ITS KIND OF A BIG DEAL" yells Sadou. "Sadou, I didn't want to lose you" says his mom in shame. "What about what I wanted? What about my friend Shira, who lost her dad in the fire benders civil war" asks Sadou angrily. "Sadou! That's enough" says a voice from behind. Sadou turns around to see his dad standing there. "How long have you known" asks Sadou. "Since you were born son. I knew it was no coincidence that you could fire bend as a baby, but you were too young son. They wanted to take you from birth, as a baby you would have been less than an average bender. I should have let you go when you were 5, but I still thought you were too young to know. However, your old enough now. Tomorrow, I'm calling the doctor over" says Sadou's dad. "No! You can't! Hes still a boy" says Sadou's mom. "He can't run from his destiny. The world is starting to lose hope again. Last time that happened, Avatar Aang proved to be a symbol of hope" says Sadou's father. "It's my decision mom. I have to do this" says Sadou. The next day, the doctor comes and gets Sadou, and his mom crys and his dad waves goodbye. As the doctor and Sadou walk on to their destination, Sadou smiles. "I'm ready! I'm unbeatable! Time to save the world" says Sadou. "Really? You can already use all four elements perfectly, in addition to mastering the Avatar state" asks the doctor. "Hold on what" asks Sadou. "To hear your father say, you can only use earth and fire right now, and your a novice at those. You need a lot more than some earth disks and a fireball if you want to save the world" says the doctor. "I can learn the other stuff no problem! Im the Avatar remember" asks Sadou. "Alright, if your so confident, go ahead. Use water bending theres a lake right over there" says the doctor. Sadou focuses on the lake and tries to bend it. Not even a single drop moves. He tries waving his arms around and different stances. Nothing happens. "How about air? Do you have the discipline to make even a single gust" asks the doctor. Sadou tries punching the air, pushing it, and moving it. Nothing happens. "Now that I've seen those skills, let's see the Avatar state" says the doctor. "Alright! Alright! I get your point. I need training" says Sadou. "You need more than just that. Your still trying to bend water and air, as you do earth and fire. You need discipline young man" says the doctor. "So what? Your going to teach me how to bend all of the elements" asks Sadou in a slightly annoyed tone. "No my boy. I've summoned 4 powerful benders to do that. You will travel with them, train with them, and learn from them" says the doctor. "Hang on! 4? I can already do fire and Earth" says Sadou. "With little skill. Trust me, there is much you can learn from these-" starts the doctor. "This is bull! Im the Avatar! I'm supposed to be already powerful" says Sadou. The doctor whacks him on the head. "An Avatar must earn their power, same as anyone else. You would know by now, if I had been alerted sooner. It could take years to learn all four elements" says the doctor. "I don't have years! The world needs an Avatar now" says Sadou. "An untrained Avatar is as good as dead. You can't save a memory with your level of skill" says the doctor. "I can too" says Sadou. "Then prove it. Defeat me in single combat" says the doctor as he throws off his coat. "With pleasure" says Sadou as he cracks his knuckles. Sadou punches the ground, and makes 3 earth disk. The doctor throws three punches, and the disks smash with an air blast. Sadou rushes up and throws a close range fireball, which the doctor easily dodges, then wind blast Sadou's legs. "Think before you act boy" says the doctor. Sadou punches the ground again and summons 2 more earth disk, which he quickly launches at the doctor, the doctor breaks them with his bare fist then sends a powerful wind blast to Sadou's stomach. Sadou falls to the ground holding his stomach in pain. "I've seen children that bend better than you. You are still a caterpillar. In time you shall become a cocoon, and soon after, a butterfly. You are trying to skip the cocoon stage, without success. You wish to save the world, but you cannot even take down a rusty old man. You think you could defeat the civil war? Or motivate the earth benders? How about save the entire water benders clan? Or even unit the air benders, with so little skill? You help no one by rushing in recklessly and unprepared. In order to speed up your training, you must not worry about what you cannot control" says the doctor. Sadou clenches his fist. "It's just hard. I'm the Avatar! Im supposed to be able to say everyone, but instead I have to wait, maybe for years. How many lives will be lost in those years? How many families will be destroyed? A friend of mine lost her father in the civil war" says Sadou. "I know, but if you rush in and get yourself killed, they may not get help for another decade, if at all. You are a strange Avatar. You skipped ahead in the cycle, and you have no Avatars of the past to call apon. You will need to learn everything about the Avatars on your own. Your journey won't be easy, but it must be completed, and it must be done right" says the doctor. "Yeah I guess" says Sadou. "In time, you will learn these lessons well, young Avatar. For now, focus on the present, for the future will make you anxious for what is to come, and the past is littered with regrets" says the doctor. "So, why aren't you teaching me air bending? Shouldn't you be my teacher" asks Sadou. "I'm an old man, and my skills have dulled with time. I shall be here for guidance, but your teachers shall be the ones who will teach" says the doctor. The two continue on their journey. The two reach a cottage. "This is the place, the benders will meet us here. Once they have gathered you shall receive exactly a week of training, then you shall travel around with the benders. The journey will teach you many things, each important in it's own right. You will need wits, strength, and trust in order to survive" says the doctor. "Hold on, you sound like your not coming with me" says Sadou. "Indeed. Once your week of training is up, we shall part ways" says the doctor. "What?! What about providing guildence and wisdom" asks Sadou. "Much can be taught in a week, however, you may not learn for a long time. There is little I can teach that you will not learn on your journey. I have taught you much already. You simply have not realized it" says the doctor. "Why is everything you say so confusing" asks Sadou. "Because right now you are naive, you will understand when you supposed to" says the doctor. "Suuuuure. Whatever you say doc" says Sadou. The next day, a beautiful girl with long brown hair, a staff, and a blue arrow on her forehead opens the door. She is wearing yellow and orange robes. "Hello. I'm the air bender. My name is Minoko" says the girl. "What's with the weird clothes" asks Sadou in a semi judgmental tone. Minoko smiles. "These are traditional robes, worn by the air nomads for countless generations. The arrow and staff are also part of the deal. You get the robes when you first become a monk, the arrow is obtained when you reach maturity" says Minoko. Sadou shakes his head. "Sounds boring" sounds Sadou. "Be silent boy, and show some respect. This nice young woman has volunteered her time to teach you air bending. She's also the descendant of Avatar Aang" says the doctor. "It's alright sir. Life as a monk can be boring, but it's one I enjoy, and i wouldn't wish to force that lifestyle on him. The worst part of being a monk is being shaved, it's so embarrassing" says Minoko. "Alright, let's get started. Teach me a bunch of air attacks" says Sadou. Minoko smiles. "Patience. Air bending is very different, and hard to master" says Minoko. "Im the Avatar. I've got this" says Sadou. Minoko walks up and uses air bending to lift a tea cup, and gently grabs it. "Air bending takes a calm mind, and gentle body. It's not primarily used for attacking" says Minoko. "I don't need to lift tea cups! I need to save the world" says Sadou. "...You haven't been able to air bend, have you" asks Minoko. "No" says Sadou. "It will be difficult for you to learn, without patience. I'll be outside. Come find me when you think you are ready" says Minoko as she walks outside. "What's with you air benders? You all talk about patience! I don't have time" says Sadou. "Take a look outside" says the doctor. Sadou looks outside and sees Minoko meditating on a rock. Birds land on Minoko and begin chirping. "So what" asks Sadou. "Such peace, in a world full of chaos. Fighting is not the only way to gain strength. Meditation clears the mind, and allows peace. You wish to fight violence with violence, but would you rather not have peace? You are not a weapon, young Avatar. You are a light, a symbol, and a shield" says the doctor. Sadou sighs, and goes outside. He sits next to Minoko and starts meditating. "Your doing it wrong" says Minoko without breaking concentration. "Then how am I supposed to do it" asks Sadou impatiently. "Just clear your mind. Let all thoughts leave your head. Focus on the wind around you, the smells in the breeze" says Minoko. Sadou takes a deep breath and clears his mind. Suddenly, he's in a spirirish looking world. He looks over and sees Minoko standing there. "Whoa! So this is what happens when you meditate" asks Sadou. "Yep. Peaceful isn't it. There is no violence, anger, or bad thoughts here. Just peace" says Minoko. "It's so nice. I wish I could stay here" says Sadou. "I wish I could too. My ancestor spent a lot of time in here" says Minoko. "Avatar Aang" asks Sadou. "Yes. I hear he spent most of his time meditating, and it helped him many times on his journey...tell me, what does being an Avatar mean to you" asks Minoko. "Helping people, obviously" says Sadou. Minoko shakes her head. "No, not what an Avatar does. I want to know what it means to you? What do you think it means to be an Avatar? How do feel about it" asks Minoko. "That's a lot of questions to ask a guy whos supposed to clear his mind" says Sadou. "These are the questions that weigh on you. The ones you subconsciously want to answer. That's what meditation is about. Taping into your subconscious, getting the inner wisdom we all posses" says Minoko. "So, what being an Avatar means to me" asks Sadou. Minoko smiles. "You don't have to answer now. You can meditate on it later. Whenever you need peace of mind, or inner wisdom" says Minoko. "Hey Minoko" says Sadou. "Yes" she asks. "I think I finally understand a little about air bending. Some problems can't be solved with your fist" says Sadou. Minoko nods. "Don't worry, I'll teach you some actual bending, but only in a special place" she says with a wink. Sadou opens his eyes, and Minoko is sitting there smiling at him. "Thank you Minoko. I think I've become a little wiser" says Sadou. Sadou looks around. "Holy crap! It's night already" says Sadou. "Yes, it is" says Minoko. "You youngster going to eat" asks the doctor from inside the cottage. "No thanks. I'm going to meditate a little more. Keep it warm for me" says Sadou. The doctor smiles. "Already a little wiser, and it's only been a day. I can't wait to see what's in store for this Avatar" says the doctor. The next morning, Sadou is sleeping on a bunk. "Wake up" says a female voice. Sadou waves the voice away. "Go away Minoko. It's too early" says Sadou. "I said get up" yells the voice more aggressively. Sadou opens his eyes. "Minoko" he asks. He looks over to see a girl with long orange hair and all black clothes. "Who are you" asks Sadou. A flame appears in her hand, and she throws it at Sadou. Sadou quickly dodges. "Hey! What's going on" asks Sadou. She narrows his gaze and throws another fireball at him. "Fine! If thats the way you want to do this" says Sadou. He throws a fireball at the girl, but she simply steps out of the way, and it crashes into the door. "You failed the test" says the girl. "What test" asks Sadou aggressively. The doctor walks inside the cottage. "Ah, Sadou. Please meet your new fire bending teacher, Karna" says the doctor. "Teacher? She tried to roast me alive" says Sadou. "Please, if i wanted to kill you, I would have done it while you were asleep, which by they way, you sleep way too much" says Karna. Sadou clenches his fist. "I don't have time for this. I can already fire bend, so I'm going to meditate with Minoko" says Sadou. "Thats not an option. Your fire bending stinks, and Minoko isn't here. Besides, I didn't waste my time coming here so you could sleep on a rock" says Karna. "Meditation isn't sleeping! It's getting in touch with your inner self" says Sadou defensively. "Whatever" says Karna. "I want a new fire bending teacher" says Sadou. "Sorry. I'm all you got, so get used to it" she says. Later they are eating breakfast. Sadou glares at Karna. "Wow, even your glare is weak" says Karna. Sadou slams his hands down on the table. "What is your problem?! Are you trying to pick a fight with me" asks Sadou. "No. You wouldn't win anyways if that pathetic fireball is all you could manage. Your kind of weak for an Avatar" says Karna. "That's it! I've had it! Fight me, outside, right now" says Sadou. Karna and he step outside. Sadou throws a few fireballs at Karna, which she easily redirects to a nearby lake. He then throws 1 powerful fireball, which she redirects back at him. It slams into him and sends him flying. "Let me know when your ready for round 2" says Karna as she walks back inside. "What is her problem" asks Sadou angrily. He walks inside. "Hey! Old man! Where is Minoko! I'm sick of fire bending! I just want to focus on air bending for now" says Sadou. "Karna sent her to get some supplies" says the doctor. Sadou looks mad. "If she were here, what do you think she'd tell you to do" asks the doctor. Sadou sighs. "She'd tell me to meditate on it" says Sadou. He walks outside and sits on the rock. "Stupid Karna. What's her deal anyways? It's like she's trying to pick a fight with me" says Sadou. He starts meditating and appears in the spiritish looking world again. He looks over and see Minoko standing there. "Wow, I wasn't expecting to see you here" says Sadou. "Im not here. These are your inner thoughts, you wanted to see me, so I'm here for you" says Minoko. "Well I wish you'd hurry up and come home. The new fire bending teacher keeps trying to pick a fight with me. I could really use some advice" says Sadou. "Maybe she's trying to be mean, or maybe there's a deeper meaning" says Minoko. "What makes you think that" asks Sadou. "She's your teacher, and from what I heard, she's taught fire bending before. Try thinking about it a little" says Minoko. "Alright. Thanks for the advice Minoko" says Sadou. Minoko nods and smiles, then fades out. "Okay, so what's the lesson in this" asks Sadou. He thinks back to when she first shows up, and he got mad, then about how she simply redirected the attacks. "That's it" says Sadou. He opens his eyes, and rushes over to Karna. "Ready for round 2" asks Karna. "I'm not going to fight you! I figured out the trick to fire bending" says Sadou. Karna looks at him. "Is that so? What do you think you've found out" she asks. "Fire bending is about control! Before, I was letting my anger guild my actions, but you, you stayed calm, and redirected my attacks" says Sadou. Karna smiles. "Not bad Avatar. Your better than I gave you credit for" says Karna. "Uh I passed the test, so you can stop with the insults" says Sadou. "Sorry, that's just my personality. Oh, and small correction, that's only the first half of the test" says Karna. "So, am i learning how to redirect an attack now" asks Sadou. "No. You know you half to learn control, but now you must put it in practice. Create a flame in your hand like this" says Karna as she creates a flame. Sadou creates a flame in his hand. "You're about to take a test that most beginning fire benders fail. Do you think you're up to the task" asks Karna. "I'm ready. I'll pass this test! I have too" says Sadou. "That's a firery spirit you have. You must be a natural fire bender. Hopefully you're up to the task" says Karna. Sadou nods, and Karna points to a tall mountain. "You must take that flame all the up and back, then light this torch (pulls out a torch). Put too much power into the flame, it goes out of control and burns you. Put to little power, and the flame goes out. Either way, you lose. The length of this test depends on your will alone. Think hard when your deciding to push yourself, or rest. Once that flame goes out, you fail the test, and there are no retrys" says Karna. "Hold on, how hard is this test supposed to be" asks Sadou. "This test has been given to our benders for countless generations. It's the test that decides whether you are a worthy bender or not. The Avatar should be able to handle this" says Karna. "It's that your way of saying you believe in me" asks Sadou. "Let's not push it. Let's see what kind of skills you possess first" says Karna. Sadou nods. "Hey, wait! This test is too long. It's going to take at least 3 days without rest to get up and down the mountain, and I only have a week" says Sadou. "No. You have a week from when the last teacher gets here. It's to prepare you for whats to come. Don't worry, the earth bender had some last minute tasks to handle, and the water bender lives really far away. Worst case, the earth bender arrives before you get back" says Karna. "Then I should hurry. I wanna meet the earth bender as soon as he arrives" says Sadou. The two set out on their journey, and are walking up the mountain. After a few hours, Sadou looks worn down. "Man, I'm so tired. My foot pain has pain" says Sadou. "Giving up already" asks Karna. "Of course not! If I give up now, I'll be letting the whole world down. All the benders, my parents, my friends, the doc, Minoko, even you" says Sadou. Karna smiles a little bit. "You don't have to pretend to like me. I'm your teacher, not your friend" she says. "Why not? You're not so bad. Sure you annoyed me a little at first, but you did it to make sure I could do what I had too" says Sadou. The flame dims a little. "You should focus on the task at hand" says Karna. "You mean the task IN hand, am I right" asks Sadou in a joking tone. Karna doesn't look amused. "Man tough crowd" says Sadou as they continue on their walk. A little while later, a bear rushes out, and Sadou dodges. The flame flickers a little. "Awe crap" says Sadou. "I can't help you here! You need to control the situation, as you do that flame" says Karna. Sadou dodges a few more strikes from the bear, and notices the flames Light is on the verge of dying out. He throws a fireball with his other hand, which scares the bear away. He then brings the flames back to it's original size. "I'm surprised. You've done better than most, but the journey will only get harder. Do you wish to continue still" asks Karna. "Yes. I do" says Sadou as they continue. As night falls, Sadou is barely standing. "We are nearly halfway. You can take a break if you wish" says Karna. "No, I need...to continue" says Sadou in a weak voice. "I can't stop you, but consider it hard before you continue" says Karna. Sadou thinks and nods. The two stop, and Sadou eats a few berries, picked by Karna. He then meditates, still maintaining the flame. (Karna's inner monologue) "I wonder if he'll actually pull this off. At first, I had him pegged as a self righteous brat, but now there's more. He's determined, and driven. I can't say I could wish for a better Avatar. The next morning, Sadou and Karna continue. "Wow, meditation is awesome. I feel totally rejuvenated and i didn't have to lose my flame. My arms a little sore though" says Sadou. "Meditation isn't my thing. It's more for the air nomads" says Karna. "Come on, you should try it sometime" says Sadou. "I throw fireballs, you meditate. Our roles are clearly set" says Karna. After almost a whole day, they reach the top. Sadou plops on the ground in exhaustion. "I'm pleasantly surprised. You actually made it to the top" says Karna. "Yep. And the flames still lit" says Sadou. "For an 11 year old boy who only just figured out he's the Avatar, you're holding up very well" says Karna. "Well, when I was younger, I always wanted to be strong. I'd practice a lot, and hoped that one day I'd be someone. Now here I am. The Avatar, I've learned so much in the short span of time since I left home" says Sadou. "Do you miss it" asks Karna. "Yeah. I was kind of rude to my mom last time I saw her. She knew I was the Avatar, and she kept it from me, but I kinda get it. She didn't want to lose me. The Avatar doesn't have to for family. They're too busy saving the world" says Sadou. Sadou looks over at Karna. "Of course, i feel really bad. I'm dragging you guys away from your homes and families to train me" says Sadou. "Well, my parents are both dead, and I wasn't a big fan of home anyways. I'm sure Minoko probably misses her family too, but we all volunteered" says Karna. "You volunteered" asks Sadou. "Yes. Like you, we saw the threat to the world, and knew we had to do what we could to help" says Karna. "...Was it the civil war? That took your parents i mean. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to" says Sadou. "No, I don't" says Karna. The two sit in silence for a moment. "Well, i suppose it's about time we went back down" says Sadou. He and Karna walk for several hours, and right around the halfway point stopped for the night. The next day they finally make it to the bottom of the hill. Sadou looks exhausted, but exited to see the torch. Then suddenly, Karna steps in front of the torch. "Uh, what are you doing" asks Sadou. "I'm your final optical. Light the torch with the flame, while fending me off, and you pass the test" says Karna as she quickly shoots a fireball at Sadou. Sadou dodges. (Sadou's inner monologue) "Awe crap. I'm exhausted, and I'm not even sure I could beat her at full strength. Think, how am I supposed to do this (dodges 3 more fireballs). (Sadou looks at the flame, then the torch). Am I supposed to run past her? No that can't be it. (Dodges 2 more fireballs). Hey wait, of course. I need to bend the flame over there. Control it like I have been". Sadou rushes forward, dodging a flurry of fireballs, then he throws the flame, and guilds it straight to the torch. However, last minute it veers away and crashes. "I...can't believe it! I lost" says Sadou. Karna shakes her head. "No, you didn't" says Karna. "But, I didn't manage to light the torch" says Sadou. "That would have been impossible, I have the ability to control flames same as you. Your just a beginner, so there was no way you could have out controlled me" says Karna. "Then, what was the point" asks Sadou. "Tell me, what do you think you gained from this, boy" asks the doctor as he walks out. Sadou thinks for a minute and his eyes widen. "I gained a lot of things actually. Control, physical strength, a better understanding of fire bending-" starts Sadou. "And, the ability to think on your feet. Even though you were exhausted, and up against an opponent you had no chance of beating, you still almost managed to complete your goal with quick thinking. You were never supposed to be able to pass the test. It was a test of your determination in the face of adversity. Up against impossible odds, you refused to give up. You realized your weaknesses, and above all else, you almost beat me. If I hadn't moved that flame when I did, you would have nailed the torch" says Karna. "That was actually kind of fun. You up for a rematch sometime" asks Sadou. "Anytime" says Karna. "Good. Now I'm taking a nap" says Sadou as he passes out on the ground. The next day, Sadou, Karna, Minoko, and the doctor are having breakfast, when a knock comes at the door. "Alright, that's probably one of my teachers" says Sadou as he egarly opens the door. A girl with pink hair in pig tails, and high official earth bender military armor stands there. "Oh, I hope I don't have the wrong address. Please tell me, is this the meeting place for training the Avatar" asks the girl. "Yes. I am the Avatar, Avatar Sadou" says Sadou. "Oh wow! I'm so glad I found it, I totally thought I was lost-" starts the girl. She goes to walk in, but trips and falls flat on her face. Sadou looks disbelievingly at the girl. "She's my earth bending teacher? She's a cluts" says Sadou. She nervously stands up and rubs her head. "Sorry about that. I'm Hidoki! I'm a lieutenant in the royal earth bending army, and now, your earth bending instructor" says the girl. Sadou sighs. "You must not judge by appearances" says Minoko. "Yeah. Remember what my lesson taught you about taking things at face value" says Karna. "Oh! Awe man. I was totally hoping to be first here, but my Commander needed me" says Hidoki in disappointment. "Well let's get started" says Sadou. "Awe, but I'm famished. I walked all the way here you know. I had some rashens, but a bear kinda stole them, so I haven't eaten in days" says Hidoki. Sadou sighs. "Alright, but I really need to train before the water bender gets here, so hurry up" says Sadou. Sadou goes outside and waits. After 2 hours he impatiently storms inside and sees Hidoki sleeping on the floor. "Hey! Wake up! I need to do some training" says Sadou. Hidoki simply snores. "Let her rest. It's been a long journey. You can train even when sitting still, remember that" says the doctor. Sadou grumpily sits down. "What's the matter" asks Karna. "I need to train before the water bender gets here, but she's napping the day away" says Sadou. "Im sure she'll work with you tomorrow, once she's rested properly" says Minoko. The next day, Sadou wakes up, and waits on Hidoki to wake up. She wakes up and stretches. "Good morning" she says. "Finally, your up! Now let's go train" says Sadou. "Aww. But I just woke up" says Hidoki with a yawn. "But we didn't get anything done yesterday, and today is flying by as well" says Sadou. "Alright fine. Let's go" she says lazily as they walk out the front door. "So what do you wanna do" she asks. Sadou looks suprised. "Your the teacher! Isn't that your job" asks Sadou. "I don't know. Cut me some slack, I just now became a teacher" says Hidoki. Sadou slaps his forehead. "Hey I know, why not show me what moves you have" says Hidoki. Sadou punches the ground quickly and some disks fly from the ground. Sadou quickly throws them at Hidoki, who holds out her hand and blocks the disks with an earth wall. "Well now what" asks Sadou. "I don't know, give me some time to think" says Hidoki. Sadou impatiently taps his foot. "Huh. I don't really know" says Hidoki. "Man your the worst teacher ever! I haven't learned anything since you got here yesterday, except that you don't know what you're doing" says Sadou as he storms off. He sits down on a log and sighs. "How am I supposed to learn earth bending if she doesn't know what to do? The other girls gave me helpful lessons, but all she's done so far is sleep and take forever thinking" says Sadou. Later on that night, Sadou walks up to the doctor. "Can I get a new Earth bending teacher" asks Sadou. "You asked that about Karna too" says the doctor. "Yeah, but Karna was teaching me. Hidoki has no clue what she's doing. Ive wasted 2 days" says Sadou. "Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here, even if you and she don't know it" says the doctor. "I doubt it. She's the worst teacher ever" says Sadou. "I think you'll find you can learn a lot more from her than you think" says the doctor. The next day, Hidoki meets Sadou outside. "Alright, time to get serious! Train me for real today" says Sadou. "How can I do that if you don't give me time to think" asks Hidoki. Sadou's eyes widen. He remembers Hidoki didn't have time to think before their training session. "All I can tell you is that earth bending is difficult. It took me years to master it" says Hidoki. Sadou looks down. "Hey Hidoki, why don't we sit down for a minute and collect our thoughts. Then we can train" says Sadou. Hidoki smiles, and the 2 sit for about 5 minutes. "Hey wait, I know. I'll put you through a training course that i had to do" says Hidoki. Sadou smiles. "Alright. Let's do it, whenever you're ready" says Sadou. A little while later, Hidoki is standing on a slope hill, and Sadou stands at the bottom. "Alright, I'm going to roll you a ball. Role it back to me" says Hidoki. He puts her hand down on the cliff, and a giant boulder appears, and starts rolling down. Sadou quickly jumps out of the way. "Are you TRYING to kill me" asks Sadou. "You're not supposed to jump out of the way. Earth bending has a lot to do with standing your ground" says Hidoki. "I would have been squashed" says Sadou. Hidoki shakes her head. "No. Try pushing back on the ball, with a combination of strength and bending. It will stop, then you just send it back my way" says Hidoki. Sadou takes a deep breath. "Alright. I'm ready to try again" says Sadou. Hidoki nods, and summons another boulder. It rolls down the hill, and Sadou flinches a little, but takes a deep breath and holds out his hands. The boulder slams into his hands and pushes him back a little. "Use a little bending on your feet to push you forwards! I believe in you" says Hidoki. Sadou does as instructed, and gets the boulder to come to a complete stop. He breathes out. "Alright, this seems like a good time to take a break" says Hidoki. "No, I can keep going" says Sadou. "There's no need to rush silly. It takes time, and it's okay to go a little slow. Things turn out better when you take your time" says Hidoki. Sadou sighs and sits down for a minute. "For a girl with such a happy and upbeat personality, she certainly likes to take her time a lot" says Sadou to himself. After a short break, Sadou re-positions himself at the boulder. "Alright, so you've got the first part down, now is the hard part. Getting the rock back up to me" says Hidoki. "How do I do that" asks Sadou. "Well, I'd create a wall, and push it up. The problem is, it'll take a minute, and if you lose focus, the boulder will fall and you'll have to start over" says Hidoki. "I don't know how to create a wall" says Sadou. "Well, you have to feel the ground. Not just in one place, but in a line, right in front of you" says Hidoki. Sadou puts his hand on the ground. "Can you feel the ground" asks Hidoki. "I'm not even sure what that means" says Sadou. "Hmm. How to phrase this. Oh, I know, channel your bending powers a little below the surface" says Hidoki. Sadou does as he is told, and his eyes widen. "I...feel like I'm one with the ground" says Sadou. "Yep! Pretty cool right? That's feeling the ground. Now you can channel that energy anywhere" says Hidoki. Sadou creates a wall as instructed. "Alright! I'm so proud of you! Now it gets even harder. Keep your focus and push it nice and easy up the hill" says Hidoki. Sadou tries putting a lot of force into it, but the wall crumbles, and the boulder rushes at Sadou. He quickly stops it again. "You have to go slow. It's okay to take your time you know" says Hidoki. Sadou takes a deep breath. He gently starts using the wall to push the boulder up the slope. A couple of times, he comes close to losing his grip, but over all he makes it up. "That took 2 hours" says Sadou. "I know. You made great time! Im proud of you" says Hidoki. "But what have i learned? I know there's a lesson in here somewhere, there always is" says Sadou. "You, my boy have learned patience, and how to stand your ground. Before today, your policy was to rush your way to the goal, even if it meant being sloppy, and furthermore, you'd jump away from problems you could take head on. Now, you took 2 hours of your precious time to move a rock up a hill. You had the patience to wait for Hidoki to come up with teaching ideas. You listened to what she had to say, and you took the boulder head on. You've made much progress today. You are that much closer to becoming the Avatar" says the doctor. Sadou's eyes widen. "Your right! I did make a lot of progress. Thanks Hidoki" says Sadou. "It was nothing. I'm sorry I'm a terrible teacher, but I really do want to help" says Hidoki. "No. I was wrong, and I'm sorry. You all are great teachers, and I couldn't ask for better, and I wouldn't even if I could" says Sadou. Hidoki's eyes water. "That's so sweet thanks Sad-" starts Hidoki, but as she goes to move, she trips and rolls down the hill. Sadou laughs. "Well, i guess some things will never change" he says as he walks up and offers his hand to Hidoki. Hidoki smiles and he helps her up. "All this work has made me hungry. Let's go eat" says Hidoki excitedly as the 3 walk back to the cottage. The next day, Sadou wakes up and waits for everyone else. "So will the water bender be here today" asks Sadou. Karna shakes her head. "Not likely. They have to travel clear from the Arctic areas, so probably not today" says Karna. "Then you should continue training with one of your present teachers" says the doctor. "Oh, pick me! Pick me" says Hidoki. "He's already learned more from you that he has from us, let us have a crack at him" says Karna. Hidoki looks disappointed. "Hey, Minoko? Is there anything new you can teach me? All I've learned from you so far is meditation" says Sadou. Minoko smiles. "Sure thing. Meet me outside when you're ready" she says. "That girl is too lax, she needs to be a little harder on you" says Karna. "It's nice to be relaxed sometime. You should try it, I'll show you how to meditate sometime" says Sadou. "We've been over this, I don't meditate" says Karna. Sadou shakes his head and walks outside, to see Minoko in a meditating stance. "Uh, Minoko? I kinda already know how to meditate" says Sadou. "This isn't meditation silly. It's a similar stance, but this time you don't push out your thoughts" says Minoko. Sadou takes a seat right next to her, and gets in stance. "Now, forget your senses. They can sometimes betray you to the reality at hand. Don't smell, or taste, or see, or listen. All I want you to do, is feel. Specifically, the wind around you. I want you to focus on it. Feel the speed, the chill, the gentleness. Just feel it" says Minoko. Sadou takes a deep breath, and focuses on the wind. (Sadou's inner monologue) "Huh, this breeze is actually a little warm. It's not going very fast, it feels nice. Like I'm feeling a cloud. Hold on, Hidoki said the trick to earth bending is feeling the ground. I wonder if it's the same for air bending". "Now that you feel the wind, allow 1 of your senses to come back, and forget feeling it. How does it smell? Focus only on the smells" says Minoko. Sadou takes another deep breath, and gently smells the air. (Sadou's inner monologue) "Huh, (sniffs) smells like someone is cooking something. I also can smell the trees, they have a stronger smell than I thought. And (sniffs) I can smell roses. I wonder if the girls have perfume or something". "Good, now. Forget what you smell, I want you to to now listen. What is it you can hear" asks Minoko. Sadou starts listening to the air. (Sadou's inner monologue) "Huh, I think I can hear the cooking on the wind. The breeze sounds nice too. It's like a silent whistle, it's soothing, and gentle. I can also here Minoko's breathing. Hey, I can hear MY breathing. It's so weird". "Alright, now forget what you hear. Can you taste the wind" asks Minoko. Sadou sucks in some air through his mouth. (Sadou's inner monologue) "Thats so weird. It's like I can taste the trees. Also, I think I swallowed a bug, which was really nasty, but otherwise it's a pleasent taste. I didn't think it was possible to taste the air. I feel so in tune with the wind". "Alright, we're reaching the end of this session. Forget what you taste, and picture the wind. What does it look like to you" asks Minoko. Sadou imagins the breeze blowing. (Sadou's inner monologue) "It's...so peaceful. I didn't think that wind could be so peaceful. Before today, I would have just got bored imagining a calm breeze, but now, it's so calming. It's my favorite sight. I almost forget that the world is in chaos. Now I see why the air nomads are so tranquil". "Alright Sadou, open your eyes. Let everything flow back. All your senses at once" says Minoko. Sadou opens his eyes. "That was so peaceful" says Sadou. "Now, your senses are all better aren't they" asks Minoko. Sadou's eyes widen. (Sadou's inner monologue) "She's right! I can still smell the food! I can still taste the trees, and feel the breeze". "Now, if you ever lose 1 sense, you have the others to rely on. You can sense people. Most people rely solely on their eyes, but your eyes can betray you. When your ready, I'm going to teach you how to use the wind to sense people far away" says Minoko. "You mean, I could sense my mom and dad" asks Sadou. "Yes, if you desire" says Minoko. "Please teach me, I want to-" starts Sadou. "In time, i will, but right now you are not ready. Air bending takes a long time to master you know, and no city was built in a day" says Minoko. Sadou looks disappointed. "...Oh alright, here" says Minoko. She holds out her hand, and a bird lands on her finger. "Wow, it's like birds come naturally to you" says Sadou. "Air benders, and birds both have a high affinity and strong ties to the wind. They consider us to be sort of like their land flock, now I can't teach you the technique but I can deliver a message to your parents for you" says Minoko. "Really? I thought birds had to be trained to do that" says Sadou. "All I have to do is guild him with the wind. He can do the rest, birds are very resourceful you know" says Minoko. "I can't believe you'd actually do that for me. You're the best Minoko" says Sadou as he gives her a hug. "Hey, I am your teacher after all. Now hurry up and write a note for your parents" says Minoko. Sadou rushes off. "You're too soft with him" says a voice from behind. Minoko turns to see Karna. "What makes you think that" asks Minoko. "Meditation? Using your senses? Letters? Where's the proper training? And when he messes up, you're never hard on him. He won't learn that way" says Karna. "Sadou is young and-" starts Karna. "We were all young when we learned. I hear nomads start before anyone, training right from the moment you walk" says Karna. Minoko grabs Karna's hand. "Come with me" says Minoko. Minoko pulls Karna over to a few fired training dummies, and broken earth disk. "What is this" ask Karna. "This is Sadou's hard work. He works so hard, and pushes himself so hard. He deserves a gentle hand, as well as a firm one. That's why we are here. We can't pamper him or overwork him. We need to work together to shape the Avatar to his full potential" says Minoko. Karna turns a little red. "I still don't see what meditation has to do with anything" says Karna. "Try it sometime. Trust me, Sadou wasn't a big fan either at first" says Minoko. The next day, Sadou sits meditating next to Minoko. Karna walks up. "Ahem...could I perhaps...join you" asks Karna. "Sure thing" says Minoko. Karna sits in between Minoko and Sadou. "Now, clear your mind. Let go of everything, just find your center" says Minoko. Karna does as she's told, and she appears in the spiritish world with Minoko and Sadou. "Wha-what is this? Where am I" asks Karna. "You're in your subconscious" says Minoko. "Just relax. It's peaceful here" says Sadou. "Ah-Alright" says Karna nervously. Minoko grabs her hand. "Relax. Meditation doesn't work if your not relaxed" says Minoko. "Ah-O-okay. I'll try" says Karna. The three sit and meditate for a while. Finally they get up, and on the way back, Karna clears her throat. Sadou and Minoko turn to her. "I-Im sorry I bashed meditation. It was nice, however I still think hard training is the best course, so tomorrow I'm putting you through the ringer" says Karna.


End file.
